Skip to main content
Log in

Planning flood control projects in urban areas

  • Technical Communication
  • Published:
Water Resources Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Planning and design of flood control projects invariably involves a consideration of sociological, economic, political and ecological factors in order to derive maximum benefits from the project. In urbanizing areas, this is often a rule rather than an exception where a project tends to have a variety of interrelated impacts on the environment. This paper presents the details of the planning efforts by the City of Louisville in Kentucky to implement a major flood control project with an overall goal to evaluate and rectify serious environmental problems brought upon by rapid urbanization in the area. This project was carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, District, to provide flood mitigation measures in the Beargrass Creek basin, which incorporates a major portion of the City of Louisville. The procedures and considerations used in the formulation, evaluation and the final selection of suitable flood control measures as devloped by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are critically examined.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ASCE Task Force Committee, 1969, Effect of urban development on flood discharges — current knowledge and future needs,J. Hydrol. Div. Amer. Soc. Civil Eng. 95 [HY1], 287–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ball, M. O., Bialas, W. F., and Loucks, D. P., 1978, Structural flood control planning,Water Resour. Res. 14, 62–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beard, L. R., and Chang, S., 1979, Urbanization impact on streamflow,J. Hydrol. Div. Amer. Soc. Civil Eng. 105 [HY6], 646–659.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bedient, P. B., Harned, D. A., and Characklis, W. G., 1978, Stormwater analysis and prediction in Houston,J. Environ. Eng. Div. Amer. Soc. Civil Eng. 104, 1087–1100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhaskar, N. R., 1986, Flood damage-frequency analysis of an urbanizing watershed,Proceedings of the International Symposium on Flood Frequency and Risk Analysis, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  • Bhaskar, N. R., 1988, Projection of urbanization effects on runoff using Clark Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph parameters,Water Resour. Bull. 24, 113–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bost, R. C., Bedient, P. B., and Rowe, P. G., 1980, Effect of urbanization on alternative flood control stategies,Water Resour. Bull. 16, 710–716.

    Google Scholar 

  • Debo, T. N., 1981, Estimating flood damages in the State of Georgia, Environmental Resources Report ERC01-81, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delleur, J. W., Miller, W. L., and Potter, H. R., 1976, Interactions between land use and urban water resources planning,Water Resour. Bull. 12, 759–777.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epsey, W. H., Morgan, C. W., and Masch, F. D., 1965, A study of some effects of urbanization on storm runoff from a small watershed, Technical Report No. HYD07-6501, CRWR2, Center for Research in Water Resources, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kibler, D. F., Froelich, D. C., and Aron, G., 1981, Analyzing urbanization impacts on pennsylvania flood peaks,Water Resour. Bull. 17, 270–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leopold, L. B., 1968, Hydrology for urban planning — a guidebook on the hydrologic effects of urban land use, Circular 554, United States Geological Survey.

  • McCorkle, M. and Halff, A. H., 1979, Flood-plain management in Dallas, Texas, 1908–1978,J. Hydrol. Div. Amer. Soc. Civil Eng. 105 [HY2], 125–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noel, D. C. and Terstriep, M. L., 1982, Q-ILLUDAS a continuous urban runoff/Washoff model,Proceedings of the International Symposium on Urban Hydrology, Hydraulics and Sediment Control, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

  • Schueler, T. R. and Sullivan, M. P., 1983, Management of stormwater and water quality in an urbanizing watershed,Proceedings of the International Symposium on Urban Hydrology, Hydraulics and Sediment Control, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1975. Feasibility report for water resources development, Beargrass Creek Basin, Jefferson County, Kentucky, Report, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Kentucky.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Water Resources Council, 1983. Economic and environmental principles and guidelines for water and related land resources implementation studies, Circular No. EC1105-2-115, Washington, D.C.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bhaskar, N.R., Singh, V.P. Planning flood control projects in urban areas. Water Resour Manage 2, 123–140 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00577064

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00577064

Key words

Navigation